Query Management Facility. Using QMF. Version7Release2 SC

Transcription

1 Query Management Facility Using QMF Version7Release2 SC

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3 Query Management Facility Using QMF Version7Release2 SC

4 Note! Before using this information and the product it supports, be sure to read the general information under Appendix E, Notices on page 379. Second Edition (March 2002) This edition applies to Query Management Facility, a feature of Version 7 Release 1 of DB2 Universal Database Server for OS/390 (DB2 UDB for OS/390), 5675-DB2, and of Query Management Facility, a feature of Version 7 Release 1 of DATABASE 2 Server for VM and VSE, (DB2 for VM and VSE), 5697-F42, and to all subsequent releases and modifications until otherwise indicated in new editions. This edition replaces and makes obsolete the previous edition, SC The technical changes for this edition are indicated by a vertical bar to the left of a changes. A vertical bar to the left of figure caption indicates that the figure has changed. Editorial changes that have no technical significance are not noted. Copyright International Business Machines Corporation 1995, All rights reserved. US Government Users Restricted Rights Use, duplication or disclosure restricted by GSA ADP Schedule Contract with IBM Corp.

5 Contents The QMF Library v About This Book vii Part 1. Learning About QMF Chapter 1. Getting Acquainted with QMF.. 3 Chapter 2. QMF in Three Quick Lessons 19 Part 2. Using QMF Chapter 3. Displaying a List of Database Objects Chapter 4. Viewing the Data in the Database Using Prompted Query Chapter 5. Viewing the Data in the Database Using SQL Statements Chapter 6. Customizing Your Reports Chapter 7. Displaying Your Report as a Chart Chapter 8. Creating a Procedure to Run QMF Commands Chapter 9. Making QMF Objects Reusable 217 Chapter 10. Creating Tables Chapter 12. Exporting and Importing Objects Chapter 13. Accessing Data at a Remote Database Chapter 14. National Language Support in QMF Chapter 15. Using QMF with Other Products Part 3. Appendixes Appendix A. Query-by-Example Appendix B. QMF Sample Tables Appendix C. QMF Functions that Require Specific Support Appendix D. The QMF High Performance Option Appendix E. Notices Glossary of Terms and Acronyms Bibliography Index Chapter 11. Maintaining the Data in Your Tables Copyright IBM Corp. 1995, 2002 iii

6 iv QMF: Using QMF

7 The QMF Library You can order manuals either through an IBM representative or by calling in the United States or any of its territories. Copyright IBM Corp. 1995, 2002 v

8 vi QMF: Using QMF

9 About This Book The Query Management Facility (QMF) product is a database application program that enables you to easily create, change, or retrieve data from a computer database. After you retrieve the data, you can format it into reports or charts. Using QMF is for new and occasional QMF users. You will find some knowledge of databases helpful, but not necessary. The book introduces you to basic QMF tasks with examples that you can use and adapt for your own work. As you read, you can try the examples in the book with QMF to produce the results described. This book is designed for use with the QMF Reference manual, which contains detailed information about QMF commands and panels. If you need more information about any topic, see the QMF Reference manual or QMF s extensive online help. The first part of the book explains basic concepts involved in using QMF to work with databases. The second part of the book explains tasks you can perform with QMF, with step-by-step instructions. The appendixes explain how to use QMF s Query-By-Example feature, show the sample tables that QMF provides, list QMF functions that require specific support, and describe the QMF High Performance Option (HPO). We created the examples in this book by using QMF with an SQL/DS database. The results you see in your own environment might be slightly different. How to send your comments Your feedback is important in helping to provide the most accurate and high-quality information. Send your comments from the Web Visit the Web site at: The Web site has a feedback page that you can use to enter and send comments. Send your comments by to comments@vnet.ibm.com. Be sure to include the name of the product, the version number of the product, the name and part Copyright IBM Corp. 1995, 2002 vii

10 About This Book number of the book (if applicable). If you are commenting on specific text, please include the location of the text (for example, a chapter and section title, a table number, a page number, or a help topic title). Complete the readers comment form at the back of the book and return it by mail, by fax ( for the United States and Canada), or by giving it to an IBM representative. How to order QMF books You can order QMF documentation either through an IBM representative or by calling in the United States or any of its territories. For a list of QMF books, see The QMF Library on page v. viii QMF: Using QMF

11 Part 1. Learning About QMF Copyright IBM Corp. 1995,

12 2 QMF: Using QMF

13 Chapter 1. Getting Acquainted with QMF With Query Management Facility (QMF), you can work with data that is stored in relational databases, including the following IBM databases: v IBM DATABASE 2 (DB2) for OS/390 v IBM DATABASE 2 (DB2) for VM and VSE v IBM DATABASE 2 (DB2) for iseries v IBM DB2 Universal Database This chapter discusses some basic concepts in using QMF. For example, it includes topics such as the following: v Understanding how data is arranged in databases v Starting and ending a QMF session v Issuing commands v Setting up your QMF profile v Getting help while you are using QMF Tables, columns, and rows For QMF, data is arranged in tables. These tables have names, and you must know the names of the tables that contain the data you need. The data in a table is arranged in columns and rows. Figure 1 shows an example. COLUMN ID NAME DEPT JOB YEARS SALARY COMM ROW SANDERS PERNAL MARENGHI O BRIEN HANES QUIGLEY ROTHMAN JAMES KOONITZ PLOTZ NGAN NAUGHTON MGR SALES MGR SALES MGR SALES SALES CLERK SALES MGR CLERK CLERK Figure 1. Data in tables is arranged in columns and rows. Columns: Copyright IBM Corp. 1995,

14 Getting Acquainted with QMF v Appear vertically on the screen v Contain data of the same kind v Have names, which appear at the top as headings Rows: v Appear horizontally on the screen v Contain different kinds of data about a single thing v Have no names In QMF, you usually refer to tables by using two-part names a table identifier and an owner identifier, separated by a period. For example, the exercises in this book use a table named Q.STAFF, where STAFF identifies the table, and Q identifies the owner of that table. For a table named JOHN.ACCOUNTS, ACCOUNTS is the table identifier, and JOHN is the owner identifier. Normally, the person who creates a table is the owner of that table. QMF identifies the owner of the table by using the user ID of the individual who created it. The owner of a table can authorize others to access the information in the table. When referring to your own tables, you can leave out the owner identifier. QMF assumes that you are referring to a table that you own. If your installation supports three-part names, also known as distributed unit of work, you can use a table from a remote location by including a location identifier. See your QMF administrator to find out whether your installation supports three-part names. For example, NEW_YORK.JOHN.ACCOUNTS refers to an ACCOUNTS table owned by JOHN and located at a remote DB2 database known to your communications network as NEW_YORK. For more information on remote data access in the QMF environment, see the QMF Reference. You do not need to use a location identifier with local tables. In this book, you use local tables with two-part names. Column names: If you need to refer to a column, you usually do it by name. You will learn how to find out column names for tables in Selecting tables and columns on page 46 and Selecting columns and tables on page 81. QMF sample tables QMF provides six sample tables that you can use while learning QMF before you begin working with your own tables. The sample tables are used throughout this book as examples. They contain information about the J& H Supply Company, a fictitious electrical parts manufacturer. 4 QMF: Using QMF

15 Getting Acquainted with QMF Table 1 describes what each sample table contains. You can see all the data in the tables in Appendix B, QMF Sample Tables on page 363. Table 1. QMF provides six sample tables to use while learning the program. Sample table name Contains information about Q.STAFF The employees of the J & H Supply Company. Q.ORG Organization of the J & H Supply Company by department (within division). Q.PRODUCTS Products produced by the J & H Supply Company. Q.PROJECT J & H Supply Company projects. Q.SUPPLIER Companies who supply materials to J & H Supply Co. Q.PARTS Materials supplied to J & H Supply Co. Accessing your data When you need information from a database, you write a query, which is a request to the database to get a specific set of data. When you use QMF to get information from a database, you can communicate your request for information in any of three different ways. Each of the three ways has its own rules: Prompted query An easy-to-use query method that displays prompt panels to help you choose just the information you are looking for. Prompted Query does not require you to know the specific syntax for your database request. It does the work for you by converting your request into a language the database can understand. It is especially suited for beginners and occasional QMF users. You can learn how to use Prompted Query to access your data in Chapter 4, Viewing the Data in the Database Using Prompted Query on page 43. SQL (Structured Query Language) A powerful query language that lets you define, retrieve, change, and authorize access to data. SQL has a specific syntax you need to follow so the database can process your request. It is especially suited for users who must work with large amounts of data, and who work with QMF frequently. You will learn how to use SQL to access in your data in Chapter 5, Viewing the Data in the Database Using SQL Statements on page 79. Query-by-Example (QBE) A graphical query method that lets you retrieve and change data with a minimum of keystrokes. Appendix A, Query-by-Example on page 291 describes how to use Query-by-Example to create queries. Chapter 1. Getting Acquainted with QMF 5

16 Getting Acquainted with QMF QMF objects QMF stores information as QMF objects. Some objects, such as queries, are actually stored in the database. Other objects, such as reports and charts, exist only in temporary storage while you work on them. There are seven QMF objects, as shown in Table 2. Table 2. QMF stores information as seven kinds of QMF objects. Object Contains QUERY Specifications for selecting the data you want to display. DATA Data you select using the query, or data you import from outside QMF. FORM Specifications for displaying the data you select. REPORT Formatted data produced when you run a query to retrieve data. CHART Graphic display of formatted report data. PROCEDURE A series of QMF commands that you can issue with a single RUN command. PROC is the abbreviation for PROCEDURE in QMF. PROFILE Specifications for your QMF user session. Each QMF object in the database has an owner, usually the person who saved the object in the database. You can not use an object unless you own it, the owner authorizes you to use it, or you are a QMF administrator. A QMF administrator can use any object that is owned by anyone. Starting QMF Every company that uses QMF sets up the program in its own way. Companies usually have one or more people who perform set up and maintenance tasks for QMF. These people are called QMF administrators. Your QMF administrator can tell you how to start a QMF session and give you a user identification number or code word your QMF user ID. Check with your QMF administrator if you have any questions about getting started with QMF. Starting from the QMF Home Panel After you start QMF, you see the QMF Home panel: 6 QMF: Using QMF

17 Getting Acquainted with QMF Licensed Materials - Property of IBM 5675-DB F42 (C) Copyright IBM Corp. 1982, 2002 All Rights Reserved. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines QMF HOME PANELQuery Management Facility Version 7.2 ****** ** ** ********* Authorization ID 1 ** ** *** *** ** CACLARK ** ** **** **** ******* ** ** ** ** ** ** ** Connected to 2 ** * ** ** **** ** ** DETROIT ****** ** ** ** ** ** Enter a command on the command line or press a function key. For help, press the Help function key or enter the command HELP. 1=Help 2=List 3=End 4=Show 5=Chart 6=Query 3 7=Retrieve 8=Edit Table 9=Form 10=Proc 11=Profile 12=Report OK, you may enter a command. 4 COMMAND ===> 5 Figure 2. The QMF Home panel On the Home panel you see: 1 Authorization ID The user ID you used to log on to QMF. You can access only objects, such as queries, forms, or procedures, created using this ID and objects to which this ID has been granted access. Any object you create during a session belongs to this user ID. 2 Connected to The name of the database to which you are connected. 3 Function keys A function key performs a single operation. The function of each key depends on the panel you are looking at. You can eliminate keystrokes by pressing a single function key to start the operation you want. If your QMF administrator tailors your function keys, they may not be the same as the examples presented in this book. In this book, we refer to function keys that are labeled, meaning the labels next to function keys at the bottom of the QMF panel. 4 The message line On this line, QMF tells you what was accomplished by the last operation you started, or what you can do next. 5 The command line If no function key starts the operation you want to do next, you can tell QMF what to do by entering a command on this line after the Chapter 1. Getting Acquainted with QMF 7

18 Getting Acquainted with QMF arrow. In this book, when we say Enter a command, it means type the command on the command line, and then press Enter. Some QMF panels display SCROLL ===> PAGE on the right side of the command line. You can type another value over the PAGE value to change the scrolling behavior when you press the Forward or Backward function keys. See the QMF Reference or QMF s online help for the Forward or Backward commands for more information. Ending a QMF session You can end a QMF session from the Home panel, or you can bypass the Home panel and end the session directly. To end a QMF session from the Home panel: 1. From any QMF panel, press the End function key. The QMF Home panel appears. 2. Press the End key again to end the QMF session. To bypass the Home panel and end a QMF session: Enter EXIT on the command line. Issuing QMF commands You can issue QMF commands in three ways: v Entering a command on the command line v Pressing a function key v Specifying a command on a prompt panel Entering a command on the command line You can enter a command on any QMF panel that has a command line. Entering a command means typing it on the QMF command line, and then pressing Enter. You can enter a command in full, or use the minimum unique abbreviation for any command that can be abbreviated. To enter a command in full: For example, to display a report that contains data from the sample table Q.STAFF, enter: DISPLAY Q.STAFF To enter a command using the minimum unique abbreviation: For example, you can enter the previous command as: DI Q.STAFF 8 QMF: Using QMF

19 Getting Acquainted with QMF Entering commands using a function key You can enter some QMF commands by using a function key. Each QMF panel has a default set of function keys. You can customize your function keys, so the keys you see on your QMF panels might be different than the ones in this book. Entering commands on the command prompt panel Command prompt panels prompt you for all the information you need to enter a QMF command. To see a command prompt panel: Enter the command and follow it with a space and a question mark. For example, enter RUN? to display the RUN Command Prompt panel. To see a command prompt panel while QMF displays an error message: If you entered a command, but received an error message on the command line, press Enter while QMF displays the message. QMF displays the command prompt panel so you can enter the correct information. Retrieving a command To retrieve a command entered on the command line: Enter RETRIEVE or? to see the last command entered. You can also use multiple questions marks.? retrieves the last command you entered,?? retrieves the command before that, and so on. Setting up and changing your QMF user profile Your QMF user profile tells QMF how you want to display information and process commands, and what printer to use when you print reports or charts. Your user profile is the same as the system default when you first begin to use QMF. You can change the information in your profile to match your specific needs at any time. To display your QMF user profile: v Press the Profile function key. Or you can do the following: v Enter SHOW PROFILE (or SH PROF) on the command line. The Profile panel displays, as shown in Figure 3 on page 10. Chapter 1. Getting Acquainted with QMF 9

20 Getting Acquainted with QMF PROFILE General Operands: CASE ===> UPPER Enter UPPER, STRING, or MIXED. DECIMAL===> PERIOD Enter PERIOD, COMMA, or FRENCH. CONFIRM ===> YES Enter YES or NO. LANGUAGE ===> PROMPTED Enter SQL, QBE, or PROMPTED. MODEL===> REL Enter RELor ER. Defaults for printing: WIDTH ===> 132 Number of characters per line. LENGTH ===> 60 Number of lines per page. PRINTER ===> Printer to be used for output. QMF Administration Operands: (Not usually changed) SPACE ===> "DSQDBDEF"."DSQTSDEF" Enter the name of DB2 DATABASE or TABLESPACE in which tables will be saved by the SAVE DATA command. TRACE ===> NONE Enter ALL, NONE or a character string of function-id, trace-level pairs. 1=Help 2=Save 3=End 4=Print 5=Chart 6=Query 7= 8= 9=Form 10= 11= 12=Report COMMAND ===> Figure 3. The QMF Profile panel controls how information is displayed. To change your QMF user profile: Position the cursor on any value in your QMF profile and type over it with the value you want. If you press the End function key, the changes you make to your profile remain in effect only until you end your QMF session, unless you save the changed profile. To save your QMF user profile: When you have all the values the way you want, press the Save function key or enter SAVE or SAVE PROFILE on the command line. QMF stores the changed profile in the database, and uses the changed profile the next time you begin a QMF session. You can change any of the profile values at any time. Table 3 on page 11 shows some of your options for changing your profile. 10 QMF: Using QMF

21 Getting Acquainted with QMF Table 3. You can set your QMF profile with your preferences. Profile value Explanation CASE ===> UPPER DECIMAL ===> PERIOD CONFIRM ===> YES LANGUAGE ===> PROMPTED QMF recognizes commands only in uppercase characters. Therefore, all the examples and exercises in this book are shown in uppercase. If you want to enter information in either uppercase or lowercase, change your profile to show CASE ===> UPPER. This way, QMF changes data entered in lowercase to uppercase. Although other indicators (such as a comma) are available, this book uses a period as a decimal point indicator. When CONFIRM ===> YES is specified, QMF displays a confirmation panel before a command changes or replaces an object in the database. For the exercises in this book, be sure YES is specified. Choose LANGUAGE ===> PROMPTED when you want QMF to prompt you for the information you need to write a query. Choose LANGUAGE ===> SQL when you want to write queries directly in SQL. Choose LANGUAGE ===> QBE when you want to use theqmf Query-by-Example feature. For more information about changing your profile, see the online help or the QMF Reference for the SET PROFILE command. Saving and retrieving objects in the database When you display or work with any QMF object, QMF places a copy of that object in a temporary storage area. There is one temporary storage area for each type of object, so you can only have one of each object in temporary storage at a time. The name of the temporary storage area is the same as the object type. QMF places QUERY objects in the QUERY temporary storage area, REPORT objects in the REPORT temporary storage area, and so on. When you make changes to objects in temporary storage, you do not change the actual object stored in the database unless you save that object when you finish working with it. For example, you can lose changes to an object in temporary storage if you end a QMF session without saving the object. You can also lose changes if you display another object of the same type before you save the one on which you are working. Chapter 1. Getting Acquainted with QMF 11

22 Getting Acquainted with QMF You cannot save a REPORT object. Instead, you save the query and form that produce the report. To save a CHART, you save the data and the chart format. You will learn more about saving charts in Chapter 7, Displaying Your Report as a Chart on page 179. Saving a QUERY, FORM, or PROC object You can save a query, form, or procedure by entering the SAVE command on the QMF command line in one of the following ways: If you are on the QUERY, FORM, or PROC panel, and you want to save the currently displayed object, enter: SAVE If the object is an existing one that you loaded from the database, QMF saves it using its existing name. If the object is new, QMF prompts you for a name for the object. You can also enter the following: SAVE AS objectname where objectname is the name you want to assign to the object. If the object is an existing one that you loaded from the database, QMF saves it under the new name. The object stored in the database with the old name remains unchanged. If you are on any QMF panel, and you want to save a currently loaded object even though it is not currently displayed, enter: SAVE object where object is the type of object you want to save. For example, if you are on the FORM panel, and you want to save the query that is currently loaded in temporary storage, enter SAVE QUERY. If the object is an existing one that you loaded, QMF saves it using its existing name. If the object is new, QMF prompts you for a name for the object. If you are on any QMF panel, and you want to save a currently loaded object under a new name, enter: SAVE object AS objectname where object is the type of object you want to save, and objectname is the name you want to assign to the object. 12 QMF: Using QMF

23 You can use this command syntax for new or existing objects. If the object is an existing one, QMF saves the currently loaded object with the new name. The object stored in the database with the old name remains unchanged. If you want to save an object and share it with other users, add the SHARE=YES parameter to the SAVE command you are using as follows: SAVE (SHARE=YES SAVE AS objectname (SHARE=YES SAVE object (SHARE=YES SAVE object AS objectname (SHARE=YES If you issue a SET GLOBAL command with the value DSQEC_SHARE=1 prior to issuing the SAVE command, you do not need to include the SHARE=YES parameter. Saving a profile You can have only one PROFILE object in the database. You can enter either of the following on the QMF command line of the PROFILE panel to save your profile: SAVE SAVE PROFILE You can also enter SAVE PROFILE on the command line of any QMF panel. Saving a DATA object as a table A DATA object is not stored in the database, but is created for you to work with temporarily when you create and run a query. All data is stored in the database in tables. If you want to save the data in a DATA object, you must save it as a table. To save a DATA object as a table, enter the following on the QMF command line: SAVE DATA AS tablename where tablename is the name you want to assign to the new table. Retrieving an object from the database You can retrieve any object from the database after you save it. To retrieve an object from the database, enter the following on the QMF command line: DISPLAY objectname where objectname is the name of the specific object. Getting Acquainted with QMF For example, to retrieve an object that is named MYQUERY, enter DISPLAY MYQUERY. Chapter 1. Getting Acquainted with QMF 13

24 Getting Acquainted with QMF You can also enter the following command: DISPLAY object objectname where object is the type of object you want to retrieve, and objectname is the name of the specific object. For example, to retrieve and display a procedure that is named MYPROC from the database, enter DISPLAY PROC MYPROC. Using QMF help You can display online help to learn about QMF for the first time. You can also display help for writing queries, formatting reports, editing a table, or creating procedures. QMF provides online help for tasks, commands, and error messages. QMF help lets you see information about what you are doing without leaving QMF. This information appears on the bottom half of your screen in a scrollable window. To see help information, press the Help function key from anywhere within QMF. If you are a new or occasional QMF user, you might find the Learning About QMF menu helpful. This topic includes most of the task information in this book, Using QMF, in online form. Navigating in QMF help The QMF main help menu provides a list of general topics. From this menu, you can choose more specific topic panels. Figure 4 on page 15 shows how QMF help is organized. 14 QMF: Using QMF

25 Getting Acquainted with QMF Figure 4. QMF help is organized from general to specific topics QMF help varies slightly in how it allows you to access information, depending on what part of QMF you are using. When you press the Help function key: v In most parts of QMF, you see a menu related to the QMF panel you are using. Select the topic or area of information that you want to see. v In Prompted Query or the Table Editor (QMF s mode for adding or changing tables), you immediately see information specifically related to the part of the process you are working on. v While you are creating an SQL query, you see a table of contents from which you can select the information you want to see. v While you are working on form panels, you see information specifically related to the field on which you are working. v In most parts of QMF, if QMF displays an error message on the message line, you see information related to the error message. The following functions are available on function keys to help you navigate through QMF help: Chapter 1. Getting Acquainted with QMF 15

26 Getting Acquainted with QMF Exit Immediately removes all help panels and activates the underlying QMF panel. More Help Shows you a menu of panels that are related to the help panel currently displayed (available for selected topics). Menu Displays either the most recently displayed menu, or the menu for the underlying QMF panel. You can return through higher-level menus until you reach the Help main menu by repeatedly pressing the Menu function key. Backward Scrolls backward through the panel. Forward Scrolls forward through the panel. Keys Lists the functions of the keys for the underlying QMF panel. Cancel Removes one help panel at a time. You can return to the underlying QMF panel by repeatedly pressing the Cancel function key. Switch On help panels for some specific topics, activates the underlying QMF panel. You can enter commands on the command line of the QMF panel while the help panel is still displayed. Getting help after making an error You are most likely to seek help when you have a problem. For example, when you misspell a command or try to run a query that is not worded properly, QMF presents a brief explanation of the error on the message line of the panel. If you find you need more information about the error, you can ask for additional help by pressing the Help function key or by entering the HELP command on the command line. A panel displays with a detailed explanation of the error and a suggested way to correct the error. For example, if you type the command SHOW PRFILE all in uppercase characters on the command line of the Home panel, you see the error message: You cannot show PRFILE. To find out more, press the Help function key. 16 QMF: Using QMF

27 Getting Acquainted with QMF Help: Message 1 to 8 of 22 You cannot show PRFILE. Explanation: You can show only the panels with these names: Home Globals Form.Options Form.Break3 Query CHARt Form.Final Form.Break4 FOrm Form.Main Form.Detail Form.Break F1=Help F3=Exit F4=More Help F6=Switch F7=Backward F8=Forward F9=Keys F12=Cancel Figure 5. QMF displays an error message when it can not execute a command. To scroll through the help panel, press the Forward function key. The help explains that the correct command is SHOW PROFILE. If you want more related information, press the More Help function key. What you see depends on what you were doing before you first called for help. For example, if you were editing a table (in the Table Editor), pressing the More Help function key from the error message help panel displays the help panels associated with different aspects of the Table Editor. This is the same help that displays if you press the Help function key directly from the Table Editor. This list displays directly on top of the previous panel, the error message help panel, or any panel that is displayed from the Table Editor list. You may also be presented with error messages as a result of a query being cancelled by the QMF Governor or the QMF High Performance Option Governor. For more information about the QMF High Performance Option Governor, see Appendix D, The QMF High Performance Option on page 375. Chapter 1. Getting Acquainted with QMF 17

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29 Chapter 2. QMF in Three Quick Lessons Working with QMF usually means doing three basic tasks: Finding data you need, selecting specific items from that data, and turning the data into a report. This chapter gives you three quick lessons on how to do these tasks, using the data in the QMF sample tables. As you read the other chapters in this book, you will learn other methods for doing these tasks. In addition, you will learn refinements for performing tasks that build on these basic concepts. You can also perform many of these tasks from within Windows environments by using the QMF for Windows feature. See Appendix D, The QMF High Performance Option on page 375 for more information. Before you start the lessons, make sure that you are familiar with the QMF terms and concepts that are explained in Chapter 1, Getting Acquainted with QMF on page 3. Lesson One: Finding the data you need In this lesson, you will create a query to show the records for all the clerks in the Q.STAFF table. The Q.STAFF table is one of the sample tables that comes with QMF. You will use the Prompted Query method, because it is the easiest method to learn. Start by selecting the Q.STAFF table. To select a table: 1. On the command line of the QMF Home panel, enter: RESET QUERY (LANG=PROMPTED The Prompted Query panel displays with the Tables panel: Copyright IBM Corp. 1995,

30 QMF in Three Quick Lessons PROMPTED QUERY LINE Tables: Tables >... Type one or more table names. *** END *** 1 to 6 of 15 ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) F1=Help F4=List F7=Backward F8=Forward F12=Cancel Figure 6. The Tables panel Because you know the name of the table you want to use, you can type Q.STAFF on the Tables panel and press Enter. However, for this lesson you will choose the table from a list. In addition, you will limit the list to only the tables that belong to user Q and that begin with the letter S. To do that, you use selection criteria. You will learn more about selection criteria in Chapter 3, Displaying a List of Database Objects on page 33. In this case, you will use the characters q.s followed by a % sign. 2. Type q.s% on the first line of the Tables panel. 3. Press the List function key. The Table List panel displays with the names of all the tables that are owned by user Q and begin with S. 4. Move the cursor to STAFF and type x. 20 QMF: Using QMF

31 QMF in Three Quick Lessons PROMPTED QUERY LINE Tables: Tables > Table List *** END *** Name Owner 1 to 5 of 5 SALES Q SALG Q SAMTALE Q x STAFF Q SUPPLIER Q F1=Help F5=Describe F7=Backward F8=Forward F10=Comments F11=Sort F12=Cancel OK, LIST command executed successfully. Figure 7. The Table List panel 5. Press Enter. The Tables panel displays again with Q.STAFF on the first line. 6. Press Enter to select the Q.STAFF table. Q.STAFF is displayed under the Tables heading on the left side of the Prompted Query panel. This is called the echo area. The echo area shows you each part of the query as you create it. The Specify panel is also displayed. Now that you have selected a table, you will use the Specify panel to create the rest of the query. PROMPTED QUERY MODIFIED LINE Tables: Specify Q.STAFF Select an item. Columns: ALL 2 1. Tables Columns... *** END *** 3. Row Conditions Sort Duplicate Rows F1=Help F12=Cancel Figure 8. The Specify panel Chapter 2. QMF in Three Quick Lessons 21

32 QMF in Three Quick Lessons Lesson Two: Choosing specific data you want After you locate the data that you want, you can choose specific items from the table. To do this, you select the columns and rows you want to display. Selecting the columns to display Columns contain data of the same kind for each individual entry in the table. For example, the column called JOB contains data about the job title of each person in the Q.STAFF table. You want to see several columns from the table for this lesson. Choice 2, Columns is already selected, because selecting columns is usually the next step in creating a query. If you look in the echo area on the Specify panel, you can see the word ALL appears directly under the Columns heading. If you do not select specific columns, QMF automatically selects all the columns in the table. To select columns: 1. Press Enter. The Columns panel displays, which shows all the columns in the Q.STAFF table. You might need to scroll forward to see them all. At the bottom of the panel, you will see selections for Expression and Summary Functions. You will not use expressions or summary functions in this lesson, but you will learn more about them in Chapter 4, Viewing the Data in the Database Using Prompted Query on page Type x beside NAME, DEPT, JOB, SALARY, and COMM. 22 QMF: Using QMF

33 QMF in Three Quick Lessons PROMPTED QUERY MODIFIED LINE Tables: Columns Q.STAFF Select one or more columns. You can also Columns: select either an expression or function. >... 1 to 8 of 8 Q.STAFF -- all *** END *** ID x NAME x DEPT x JOB YEARS x SALARY x COMM 1. Expression (A+B, etc.) Summary Functions (SUM, etc.) F1=Help F5=Describe F7=Backward F8=Forward F12=Cancel Figure 9. The Columns panel 3. Press Enter. The columns you selected are displayed in the echo area, and the Specify panel displays again. Selecting the rows to display Next, you select the rows to display on your report. For this lesson, select only the rows for employees who are clerks. In QMF, selecting specific rows to display is called creating a row condition. To select rows: 1. Press Enter to select choice 3, Row Conditions. The Row Conditions panel displays, as shown in Figure 10 on page 24. Chapter 2. QMF in Three Quick Lessons 23

34 QMF in Three Quick Lessons PROMPTED QUERY MODIFIED LINE Tables: Row Conditions Q.STAFF Begin a condition by selecting one column, Columns: or by entering an expression or function. NAME 1 to 8 of 8 DEPT * Q.STAFF JOB 2. ID SALARY 3. NAME COMM 4. DEPT 5. JOB Row Conditions: 6. YEARS > If SALARY 8. COMM *** END *** Expression (A+B, etc.) F1=Help F5=Describe F7=Backward F8=Forward F12=Cancel Figure 10. The Row Conditions panel To create a row condition, select a column on which to base your row condition. You can use any column in the table, even if you are not displaying it on the report. In this example, you want to display only rows where the job is clerk, so you will select the JOB column. 2. Type 5 to select JOB. 3. Press Enter. The Comparison Operators panel displays: 24 QMF: Using QMF

35 QMF in Three Quick Lessons PROMPTED QUERY MODIFIED LINE Tables: Row Conditions Q.STAFF Comparison Operators Columns: NAME Select a verb and a comparison. DEPT JOB Verb Is SALARY 2. Is not COMM 1 to 7 of 10 Comparison 1 1. Equal to... Row Conditions: 2. Less than... > If JOB Less or equal to Greater than... *** END *** 5. Greater or equal to Between Starting with F1=Help F7=Backward F8=Forward F12=Cancel Figure 11. The Comparison Operators panel On the Comparison Operators panel, you will create a row condition in which you only see rows where JOB is equal to clerk. To do this, you select 1, Is, and then select 1, Equal to. These choices are already selected for you. 4. Press Enter. The Equal To panel displays. 5. Type clerk on the first line of the Equal To panel. Chapter 2. QMF in Three Quick Lessons 25

36 QMF in Three Quick Lessons PROMPTED QUERY MODIFIED LINE Tables: Row Conditions Q.STAFF Comparison Operators Columns: NAME Equal To DEPT JOB Type one or more values, column names, or expressions. SALARY COMM.. ( clerk ) Or.. ( ) Row Condit Or.. ( ) > If JOB I Or.. ( ) Or.. ( ) *** END ** Or.. ( ) F1=Help F4=List F5=Show Field F12=Cancel F1=Help F7=Backward F8=Forward F12=Cancel Figure 12. The Equal To panel 6. Press Enter. The row condition you created is displayed in the echo area, and the Specify panel displays again. 7. Because you are finished creating the query, press the Cancel function key to close the Specify panel. The Prompted Query panel displays. Your query is displayed in the echo area, as shown in Figure 13 on page QMF: Using QMF

37 QMF in Three Quick Lessons PROMPTED QUERY MODIFIED LINE 1 Tables: _ Q.STAFF Columns: _ NAME _ DEPT _ JOB _ SALARY _ COMM Row Conditions: _ If JOB Is Equal To CLERK *** END *** 1=Help 2=Run 3=End 4=Show SQL5=Change 6=Specify 7=Backward 8=Forward 9=Form 10=Insert 11=Delete 12=Report OK, CANCELcommand executed successfully. COMMAND ===> SCROLL ===> PAGE Figure 13. QMF displays your query on the Prompted Query panel. 8. To run the query and display your data, press the Run function key. The following report displays: REPORT LINE 1 POS 1 79 NAME DEPT JOB SALARY COMM JAMES 20 CLERK NGAN 15 CLERK NAUGHTON 38 CLERK YAMAGUCHI 42 CLERK KERMISCH 15 CLERK ABRAHAMS 38 CLERK SNEIDER 20 CLERK SCOUTTEN 42 CLERK LUNDQUIST 51 CLERK WHEELER 51 CLERK BURKE 66 CLERK GAFNEY 84 CLERK =Help 2= 3=End 4=Print 5=Chart 6=Query 7=Backward 8=Forward 9=Form 10=Left 11=Right 12= Figure 14. QMF displays the data from your query. Chapter 2. QMF in Three Quick Lessons 27

38 QMF in Three Quick Lessons Lesson Three: Customizing a report QMF displayed the data you retrieved in the previous lesson as a report. A report is a display of data that is formatted to make it easy to read or view. When you run a query, QMF uses a default report format to display the report. You can change the appearance of your report by changing the default report format. In this lesson, you will learn how to change column headings and column widths, and add a page heading to the report you just displayed. You can perform many of these tasks from within Windows environments by using the QMF for Windows feature. See Appendix D, The QMF High Performance Option on page 375 for more information. To change the appearance of a report: 1. From the report panel, press the Form function key to display the default report form. The FORM.MAIN panel displays: First, you will change some column names. FORM.MAIN COLUMNS: Total Width of Report Columns: 50 NUM COLUMN HEADING USAGE INDENT WIDTH EDIT SEQ NAME 2 9 C 1 2 DEPT 2 6 L2 3 JOB 2 5 C 3 4 SALARY 2 10 L2 4 5 COMM 2 10 L2 5 PAGE: HEADING ===> FOOTING ===> FINAL: TEXT ===> BREAK1: NEW PAGE FOR BREAK? ===> NO FOOTING ===> BREAK2: NEW PAGE FOR BREAK? ===> NO FOOTING ===> OPTIONS: OUTLINE? ===> YES DEFAULT BREAK TEXT? ===> YES 1=Help 2=Check 3=End 4=Show 5=Chart 6=Query 7=Backward 8=Forward 9= 10=Insert 11=Delete 12=Report OK, FORM is displayed. COMMAND ===> SCROLL ===> PAGE Figure 15. The FORM.MAIN panel When you use the default report form, QMF assigns a name, usually the column name from the table, to each column on the report. 2. Move the cursor to the column name NAME and type EMPLOYEE_NAME. Be sure to type an underscore between each word in the column heading. 3. Type DEPT_NUMBER for DEPT. 4. Type COMMISSIONS for COMM. 28 QMF: Using QMF

39 Next, you need to change the column width of the COMMISSIONS column so the title will fit. 5. Move the cursor to the column width for COMMISSIONS and type 11. Finally, you will specify the text you want to display at the top of each page of your report. 6. Move the cursor to PAGE: HEADING ==> and type: TOTALCOMMISSIONS - CLERKS QMF in Three Quick Lessons You have finished making your changes to the report format. The FORM.MAIN panel should look like this: FORM.MAIN MODIFIED COLUMNS: Total Width of Report Columns: 51 NUM COLUMN HEADING USAGE INDENT WIDTH EDIT SEQ EMPLOYEE_NAME 2 9 C 1 2 DEPT_NUMBER 2 6 L2 3 JOB 2 5 C 3 4 SALARY 2 10 L2 4 5 COMMISSIONS 2 11 L2 5 PAGE: HEADING ===> TOTALCOMMISSIONS - CLERKS FOOTING ===> FINAL: TEXT ===> BREAK1: NEW PAGE FOR BREAK? ===> NO FOOTING ===> BREAK2: NEW PAGE FOR BREAK? ===> NO FOOTING ===> OPTIONS: OUTLINE? ===> YES DEFAULT BREAK TEXT? ===> YES 1=Help 2=Check 3=End 4=Show 5=Chart 6=Query 7=Backward 8=Forward 9= 10=Insert 11=Delete 12=Report OK, cursor positioned. COMMAND ===> SCROLL ===> PAGE Figure 16. The FORM.MAIN panel shows the changes you want. 7. Press the Report function key to see the changed report: Chapter 2. QMF in Three Quick Lessons 29

40 QMF in Three Quick Lessons REPORT LINE 1 POS 1 79 TOTALCOMMISSIONS - CLERKS EMPLOYEE DEPT NAME NUMBER JOB SALARY COMMISSION JAMES 20 CLERK NGAN 15 CLERK NAUGHTON 38 CLERK YAMAGUCHI 42 CLERK KERMISCH 15 CLERK ABRAHAMS 38 CLERK SNEIDER 20 CLERK SCOUTTEN 42 CLERK LUNDQUIST 51 CLERK WHEELER 51 CLERK BURKE 66 CLERK GAFNEY 84 CLERK =Help 2= 3=End 4=Print 5=Chart 6=Query 7=Backward 8=Forward 9=Form 10=Left 11=Right 12= OK, REPORT is displayed. Figure 17. The report reflects the changes you made. 8. Press the End function key to return to the QMF Home panel. Where do you go from here? While working through these lessons, you have had a chance to look at many of the basic features of QMF. If you would like more detailed information on any of these features, see the following sections: v For information on Prompted Query, see Chapter 4, Viewing the Data in the Database Using Prompted Query on page 43. For information on using SQL, see Chapter 5, Viewing the Data in the Database Using SQL Statements on page 79. v For information on creating and formatting reports, see Chapter 6, Customizing Your Reports on page 123. v For information on creating and formatting charts, see Chapter 7, Displaying Your Report as a Chart on page 179. v For information on working with tables, see Chapter 10, Creating Tables on page 221 and Chapter 11, Maintaining the Data in Your Tables on page 227. v For information on performing QMF tasks from within Windows environments, see Appendix D, The QMF High Performance Option on page QMF: Using QMF

41 Part 2. Using QMF Copyright IBM Corp. 1995,

42 32 QMF: Using QMF

43 Chapter 3. Displaying a List of Database Objects To quickly view information about database objects, you can display a list of those objects. You can limit the objects in the list in many different ways. For example, you can limit objects to a certain type, such as queries, or to objects with names that contain a certain sequence of characters (for example, all objects with names beginning with ST). QMF allows you to see only objects that you are authorized to use. These objects can include objects you saved in the database and objects that other users share with you. If your database supports distributed unit of work, you can also display a list of tables that are located at a remote location. See your QMF administrator to find out if you have distributed unit of work. You can display QMF queries and forms from within Windows environments by using the QMF for Windows feature. See Appendix D, The QMF High Performance Option on page 375 for more information. Displaying a list of database objects using the List key 1. Type the object type (TABLES, QUERIES, PROCS, FORMS, QMF, or ALL) on the QMF command line. 2. Press the List function key. The list for the object type you specified displays. For example, to display a list of all the queries you own, type: QUERIES on the QMF command line and press the List function key. You will see a list that is similar to the one shown in Figure 18 on page 34. Copyright IBM Corp. 1995,

44 Displaying a List of Database Objects Query List Dates Action Name Owner Modified Last Used 1 to 2 of 2 MYQUERY USERID MYQUERY2 USERID F1=Help F4=Command F5=Describe F6=Refresh F7=Backward F8=Forward F9=Clear F10=Comments F11=Sort F12=Cancel Figure 18. Displaying a list of Query objects The name of the list depends on the type of objects displayed. This list is called a Query List because it contains only queries. A list containing more than one type of object is called an Object List. You can type QMF commands in the Action area. Press the Comments function key to see a descriptive comment line for each object on the list. Press the Describe function key if the comment for that object is too long to display on the screen or if you need more detailed information about an object. Press the Cancel function key to remove the list. You can t list REPORT or CHART objects, because they re not saved in the database; only the queries, or data and forms to produce them, are saved. You can display a list of database objects from a command prompt panel for any field with a + sign next to it. To display a list of database objects from a command prompt panel: 1. Move the cursor to the field with the + sign after it. For example, the Name field on the RUN Command Prompt panel has a + sign next to it, so you can display a list of object names for this command. To see the RUN Command Prompt panel, on the QMF command line, enter: RUN? 34 QMF: Using QMF

45 Displaying a List of Database Objects RUN Command Prompt 1 to 8 of 8 Type ( ) Name ( ) + To run an object from temporary storage, enter its type: QUERY or PROC. To run an object from the database, enter its name (and optionally its type). Type can be QUERY or PROC F1=Help F3=End F4=List F7=Backward F8=Forward Connected to * STLVM27_SQLDS_Q1 Type command on command line or use PF keys. For help, press PF1 or type HELP. Figure 19. You can list objects from the RUN Command Prompt panel. You can also type information in the entry fields to choose the type of objects listed or to limit the objects that are shown by owner. For example, you can type QUERY in the Type field to see only query objects. 2. Press the List function key. The list displayed shows only the objects that are valid for the command RUN Command Prompt Type ( query Query List Name ( all Name Owner To run an object fro 1 to 10 of 826 QUERY or PROC. 1. QUERY1 USERID1 2. QUERY2 USERID1 To run an object fro 3. MYQUERY USERID2 optionally its type) 4. MYQUERY2 USERID MYQUERY3 USERID2 + F1=Help F3=End F4=List 6. MYQUERY4 USERID SALESQY USERID2 + Connected to 8. SALESQY2 USERID2 STLVM27_SQLDS_Q1 9. REPORTQY USERID3 10. REPORT2 USERID3 Type command on command lin F1=Help F5=Describe F7=Backward F8=Forward F10=Comments F11=Sort F12=Cancel Figure 20. QMF displays a list of query objects. you are issuing. For example, the valid objects for the RUN command are QUERY and PROC, so only those objects are displayed on the list. To select an object from the list, enter its number. Chapter 3. Displaying a List of Database Objects 35